Automat

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Getting worse

automat --

Earlier this week, Gov. Kaine wrote to you about Republican Senator Jim DeMint's remark to a right-wing group that's spending millions trying to kill health insurance reform. DeMint told them, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."

It's getting worse. On the "Today" show, he refused to back down from those outrageous comments. He's making the rounds on cable news and even launching criticisms of the President from the floor of the Senate.

We need to push back immediately to show other Republicans that there's a political price to pay for using the health care debate to make personal attacks on the President, instead of working to bring down costs and cover all of us.

So we've created a new ad that we're running in Senator DeMint's home state of South Carolina. It has a simple but forceful message: Senator DeMint is trying to score political points at any cost, even if it means that his constituents continue to suffer under a broken health insurance system.

It's a tough ad that's sure to get noticed, but only if we have the resources to keep it on the air. Can you help?

Republicans in Washington like DeMint have made it clear that they have no intention of fixing our health care system -- only to block progress. A leading GOP political strategist, Bill Kristol, even urged his fellow Republicans to "resist the temptation" to be "constructive or, at least responsible," and instead work only to kill health insurance reform.

They're putting politics before people and doing everything they can to maintain the status quo. But unless we act this year, more Americans will lose their coverage, more businesses will close their doors, and rising costs will continue to explode our nation's deficit.

Congress is making the critical decisions on health insurance reform as we speak, so it's especially important that all of us send a strong message today to Senator DeMint, his insurance-company allies, and every Republican blocking reform: We won't cave to your blatant political games -- the American people voted for change, and we're not about to let you stand in the way of it becoming a reality.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Breaking President Obama?

automat --

Special interests and opponents of health care reform in Washington have made their priority clear: attack President Obama at any cost.

On Friday, GOP Senator Jim DeMint told a special-interest attack group that if they're "able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." And just this morning, Republican Chairman Michael Steele backed up DeMint's statement 100%. At the same time, the Republican National Committee is running deceptive ads to scare Americans away from the reform we need.

Their plan is simple: oppose health care reform as a political ploy to weaken the President and defeat his entire agenda of change. But if we follow the Republican "Party of No" and do nothing, we'll not only ensure more of the same, but saddle our children and grandchildren with a growing burden of exploding costs and declining care that they may never overcome.

We can't let this kind of slash and burn politics succeed. We can fight back by collecting as many signatures as possible backing the President's principles for health care reform. A huge response will show Washington and the media that when Republicans try to "break" the President, Americans are ready to stand up for what's right.

The President has consistently argued that health care reform must: reduce costs, guarantee choice -- including the choice of a strong public insurance option -- and ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. These principles are the key to keeping our country healthy -- and protecting our families, businesses, and economy from costs that are spiraling out of control. It's the change the American people voted for and so desperately need.

But special interests and Republican leaders are so concerned with scoring points that they seem to think health care reform is a political game. They are literally playing politics with our lives and livelihood, and it has to stop.

We know that they will not "break" President Obama or the movement that supports him. And if we work together, they will not stop us from enacting the real health care reform that Americans need and demand.

P.S. -- Just this afternoon, President Obama, speaking at a children's hospital, responded to Senator DeMint's comment. Here are his inspiring words:

"Think about that. This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses and breaking America's economy. And we can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time, not now. There are too many lives and livelihoods at stake."

Saturday, July 04, 2009

A day to celebrate and aspire

automat --

This weekend, our family will join millions of others in celebrating America. We will enjoy the glow of fireworks, the taste of barbeque, and the company of good friends. As we all celebrate this weekend, let's also remember the remarkable story that led to this day.

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, our nation was born when a courageous group of patriots pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the proposition that all of us were created equal.

Our country began as a unique experiment in liberty -- a bold, evolving quest to achieve a more perfect union. And in every generation, another courageous group of patriots has taken us one step closer to fully realizing the dream our founders enshrined on that great day.

Today, all Americans have a hard-fought birthright to a freedom which enables each of us, no matter our views or background, to help set our nation's course. America's greatness has always depended on her citizens embracing that freedom -- and fulfilling the duty that comes with it.

As free people, we must each take the challenges and opportunities that face this nation as our own. As long as some Americans still must struggle, none of us can be fully content. And as America comes ever closer to achieving the perfect Union our founders dreamed, that triumph -- that pride -- belongs to all of us.

So today is a day to reflect on our independence, and the sacrifice of our troops standing in harm's way to preserve and protect it. It is a day to celebrate all that America is. And today is a time to aspire toward all we can still become.

With very best wishes,

President Barack Obama

July 4th, 2009

P.S. -- Our nation's birthday is also an ideal time to consider serving in your local community. You can find many great ideas for service opportunities near you at http://www.serve.gov.

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.